clean air now

what is being done at
the turn of the century to combat air pollution?

Air pollution is still a problem needing to
be dealt with locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally.
There is a constant need for new technology for industry, motor
vehicles, and other pollution sources, and scientists are discovering
more and more pollutant effects. The issue of air pollution control
is still being addressed, and some action has occurred since the
Clean Air Act of 1990. (This law is currently listed in United States
Code under Title 42 - The Public Health and Welfare as
Chapter
85 - Air Pollution Prevention and
Control.)

After the Clean Air Act was amended in 1990, the government knew
that additional steps were still needed in the area of air pollution
control. Around this same time, Congress passed the Pollution
Prevention Act, which went beyond the regulations of the Clean Air
Act to stop pollution at its source. Also, almost one hundred
countries agreed to and signed the Montreal Protocol which is an
effort to stop the destruction of stratospheric ozone, mainly by
phasing out CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons).

Principles of the Clean Air Act are also being updated. For
example, the EPA has been required to set emissions standards for
additional chemicals, such as benzene and formaldehyde in 1994. Also,
emissions standards are constantly being changed and deadlines are
being extended.

For the most recent action in the area of air pollution abatement,
see the EPA homepage.